At DeKalb Apartment Fire, Occupants Were ‘Dropping Their Children’ To Firefighters

On Wednesday, more than 45 firefighters were battling an apartment fire near Atlanta, which has injured about a dozen people. Firefighters kicked in doors and ushered out residents when they arrived on the scene.

DeKalb County Fire Rescue Capt. Eric Jackson told reporters shortly before dawn Wednesday that four adults and eight children have been injured. Jackson said their injuries were minor and mostly related to smoke inhalation.

Jackson told WSB-TV that firefighters had to smash through doors to help some out.

Occupants inside were “literally dropping their children down to our firefighters and we were catching them, and that was before we put any water on the fire,” Jackson told reporters.

“We had fire burning on one end of the building and residents on the other end didn’t have a clue,” he told reporters at the scene in an interview posted on the fire department’s Instagram page. “So we were doing multiple things. We were catching babies; we were kicking in doors, letting folks know they needed to get out.”

He said the fire has grown since firefighters arrived. The cause wasn’t immediately known.

The building, which includes about 20 units, is just northeast of Atlanta.